Monotasking, GM’s Second Century

Reports of multitasking may be exaggerated. According to Mediamark Research & Intelligence data, more than half of people’s time spent consuming media at home is often done exclusively with one medium. Among all adults, 55 percent of their at-home newspaper reading occurs without involvement with other media. With magazine reading, 53.6 percent is exclusive. For the Internet, the figure is 53.8 percent, and for TV and radio, the percentages are 49.4 and 28.3, respectively.

General Motors Corp. might have lost $15.5 billion in the second quarter, but Chairman-CEO Rick Wagoner sounded downright buoyant today about its prospects, calling this the “most exciting time in GM’s history.” During an hour-long, live global webcast celebrating the company’s 100th anniversary, Mr. Wagoner said that “GM’s second century starts right now.” He said the company plans to endure the tough U.S. economic climate that is currently dragging down its profitability. Addressing attendees at festivities hosted in the company’s “Wintergarden,” which is ironically lined with tall, fake palm trees, Mr. Wagoner said that GM survived thousands of car-making startups “against all odds” a century ago.